In the treatment of chronic diseases such as asthma, heart failure, or hypertension, pharmacology plays a key role, however, the drug alone is not enough. It is estimated that from 20% to 50% patients wrongly is taking medication. This leads to an increased morbidity and ineffectiveness of therapy1.. Increasing adherence to treatment is a priority goal of health care systems1. The role of the doctor in the case of such conditions is extremely complex. When choosing the appropriate drug therapy, it must also provide the patient with emotional support and education about the drug, the treatment or the disease itself2. A single, time-limited medical visit is not enough to fully care for the patient. When questions or concerns arise in the course of treatment, the patient must wait, often several weeks, to consult his doubts with the doctor.
Therefore, in this article you will learn what therapy support applications are and how they can become a golden mean to solve the problems of maintaining the effectiveness of treatment.
What is a “therapy companion app”?
Therapy companion app is a mobile app designed for patients struggling with chronic diseases. Provides medication reminders, instructions on how to use them, educational content about the disease, recommendations for healthy habits and registration of symptoms1. It can also support patients in monitoring therapy through notifications to health care providers.
How Therapy Companion App Affects Treatment Effectiveness
World Health Organization (WHO, World Health Organization) Recognizes Non-Compliance with Therapeutic Recommendations as a Widespread International Problem1. Failure to adhere to treatment rules can lead to high health costs resulting from re-hospitalization. In turn, drugs used in violation of the doctor's instructions They lose their effectiveness3.
The current analysis of the effectiveness of mobile applications supporting drug therapies confirms their significant impact upon adherence Recommendations for therapeutic recommendations1. These studies covered a wide spectrum of medical conditions, such as asthma, heart failure, hypertension and HIV1. In 7 of 11 of these, participants declared that they were more satisfied with functionalities such as reminders and recording of symptoms and information about medications that helped them comply with treatment guidelines1. Observed reduction of errors related to taking medications. three research has shown that mobile applications significantly reduced the risk of missing a dose1.
Contrary to popular belief, one study confirmed that the use of apps was not a problem per elderly patientswho were able to use the mobile application at a level comparable to younger users1. In addition, learning to use It has a positive effect on patients, who have previously reported numerous difficulties related to the operation of the mobile application.1
Despite these positive results, the applications studied did not include functions that allow daily contact with the doctor. It is significantly reduced adherence control patients for therapy. According to the study, health professionals should recommend that their patients install the application and then monitor the use, since downloading alone does not guarantee the full use of the application1.
The importance of the patient-doctor relationship
Another study on patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) emphasizes the importance of developing open communication and a professional, long-term relationship between patient and physician2. The authors of the study, based on personal experiences as patients struggling with CML, indicated that cooperation in decision-making during treatment and increased patient education are crucial for better health outcomes, compliance with the rules Treatment and reduction of health care costs2. Patients stated that the most important aspects when choosing a doctor were experience in treating their condition, character traits of the doctor (empathy, sense of humor) and availability, e.g. through virtual meetings or phone calls2.
Also, in cardiovascular diseases, non-compliance with recommendations can occur when The treatment regimen is complex, resulting wrong time of administration of the drug or giving multiple medications at unusual times of the day4. these factors Behavioral characteristics of the patient may or may not be noticed by the doctor during the visit. According to another study, more than 60% of patientswho were interviewed immediately after the visit to the doctor, misunderstood the recommendations for the prescribed drugs4. Incomplete understanding of the medical condition and the seriousness of the risk is one of the major barriers that physicians face in cardiac disease therapies.
“I need a consultation. I need to talk to someone. If I had known about my medications, their side effects and diet; maybe I would have dealt with the disease better. Doctors are always in a hurry; they do not ask about the patient's condition, they do not answer our questions” 4
summary
Treatment of chronic diseases requires a comprehensive approach, which includes not only pharmacology, but also constant contact with the doctor and his emotional support. Mobile apps can be an effective tool to support therapy, but their effectiveness depends on regular monitoring and interaction from healthcare professionals. Creating open and systematic communication between patient and physician is essential to achieve higher patient adherence to therapy. To learn more about the implementation of mobile applications in the care of patients with chronic diseases in Poland, we encourage you to read the content of this article https://www.doctor.one/blog/koordynacja-sm
- Pérez-Jover, V., Sala-González, M., Guilabert, M., & Mira, J. J. (2019). Mobile Apps for Increasing Treatment Adherence: Systematic Review. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(6), e12505. https://doi.org/10.2196/12505
- Clements, J., Fleischman, A., Lerner, V., & Ruiz, C. (2023). The Importance of Developing Open Communication and a Professional, Long-Term Relationship Between Patients with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and their Oncologist. Future Oncology, 19(17), 1197–1208. https://doi.org/10.2217/fon-2022-1267
- Jimmy, B., & Jose, J. (2011). Patient medication adherence: measures in daily practice. Oman medical journal, 26(3), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2011.38
- Kalantarzadeh, M., Yousefi, H., Alavi, M., & Maghsoudi, J. (2022). Adherence Barriers to Treatment of Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Qualitative Study. Iranian journal of nursing and midwifery research, 27(4), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijnmr.ijnmr_307_21
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